Bolu Province, Turkey — October 31, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
A Turkish court has sentenced 11 individuals to aggravated life imprisonment for their roles in a devastating January fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a ski-resort facility in the Bolu mountains, which claimed 78 lives, including 34 children. The verdict marks a significant step in what has been one of Turkey’s most tragic civilian disasters in recent years.
According to state-owned broadcaster TRT Haber, the convicted include the hotel owner, Halit Ergül, members of the hotel’s board, management and staff, a deputy mayor, and personnel from the fire brigade. They were found guilty of failing to provide adequate fire safety measures and thereby being complicit in the deaths.
The blaze broke out at night on January 21, 2025, at the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, situated within the Bolu Province ski resort area, during the school holiday season. With 238 guests staying in the building, many families from Istanbul and Ankara were present. As the fire spread rapidly from the restaurant floor, panicked guests were forced to jump from windows, and hundreds were injured.
More than 137 people were injured; emergency services and independent observers had previously raised alarm about the hotel’s lack of fire-safety infrastructure and failure to meet regulatory standards. The court accepted expert testimony that fire-sprinkler systems were insufficient, evacuation routes were compromised, and local oversight had failed.
The life sentences send a clear message: negligence in enforcing safety standards, especially in public-facing facilities, will lead to the highest punishments in Turkey. For the families of the victims, many of whom are still grieving, the ruling offers a measure of accountability. Analysts say it may also trigger stricter regulatory oversight across Turkey’s tourism and leisure industry.
From a broader perspective, the case highlights vulnerabilities in holiday-resort safety, especially when rushed construction, high guest volumes and regulatory lapses combine. Vis-à-vis Turkey’s ambitions as a global tourist destination, such incidents expose reputational risks and the need for constant institutional vigilance.